Description
These soft, tangy muffins have a creamy surprise inside, making them the perfect sweet and zesty treat!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Muffins:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Zest of 2 lemons
- ¾ cup buttermilk (or milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (or vegetable oil)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Lemon Glaze (Optional but Recommended!):
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
-
Preheat & Prep
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease it lightly. -
Make the Cream Cheese Filling
In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside. -
Mix Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. -
Mix Wet Ingredients
In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and fresh lemon juice. -
Combine
Gently stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined. (Do not overmix!) -
Assemble the Muffins
- Fill each muffin cup halfway with batter.
- Add 1 teaspoon of cream cheese filling to the center.
- Cover with more batter until cups are about ¾ full.
-
Bake
Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted around the edge comes out clean (avoid the cream cheese center). -
Cool & Glaze
Let muffins cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle with lemon glaze if using.
Notes
For extra lemony muffins, add ½ teaspoon of lemon extract.
Swap buttermilk for Greek yogurt for an ultra-moist texture.
Store in an airtight container for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 210kcal
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 130 kcal
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 55mg